Refund Claim - War Postcard India/Burma

This is one of WW2 India post card but used by Burma by affixing Burma postage stamps and striking out Simla by Rangoon.

Shown above is front side of postcard which has printed text:

"ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE POST CARD"

with 1 Anna Burma Service stamp affixed. It is addressed to some Mr. Chettiar in Ramnad District of South India. Note the interesting address "South India" rather than mentioning Madras Presidency state in which Ramnad District was located.

It then also mentions dispatcher address as: Finance & Revenue Department, Govt. of Burma, Rangoon. (Postcard has Simla printed which has been stroked out by Rangoon.)

On the reverse side it has mostly text printed:

GOVERNMENT OF BURMA
FINANCE & REVENUE DEPARTMENT
RANGOON (again SIMLA stroked out)

--O--

No. C2482 Dated the 4th Jan 1946.

MEMORANDUM.

Subject:- Claim for compensation for loss of property due to the war in Burma.

The claim sent with his letters dated the 3rd August 1945 has been received and registered as No. C2482.

2. The Government of Burma are unable to admit any legal liability in respect to the claim. It has, however been registered for consideration in due course (striking out after the war).

It then has signature of V. Venkateswarao as Secretary of Finance & Revenue Department.

It has to be noted that during WW2 the exiled colonial Burma Government had headquarter in Simla after Japan deceived them. Burmese Government had assisted Japanese Army in winning initial War in Burma as they thought it was way to independent Burma in similar lines to Subhas Chandra Bose who got influenced by Japan during WW2. It is said that though Colonel Suzuki had right intention to let Burma ruled by Burmese but Japan's Government never had such intention.

It is also said that after war was over in Burma (allied won), British Government started punishing most of Tamil Indians who were at that time one of the most influential community in Burma as traders and businessmen. The reason was most of Tamil people had sided with Subhas Chandra Bose and Indian Independence League during WW2. There was very generous donation given by Tamil Indians to INA/IIL. Hence after the war, British Government not only rejected most of compensation claims of Indians but also confiscated INA Bank and donated money of public. There has been many known legal cases where people have fought over decades trying to get their money from British Government of India and now Indian Government. In today's term, that money must have been millions/billions but none has ever got their money back. Above letter is an example of untold history of India during WW2.

Japanese (IIL/INA) WW2 Propaganda Leaflet Against Allied (British) Forces

It's long time since I shared some colorful leaflet ;-) So here it is. I hope it will catch your attention.

This is one of the Japanese leaflet dropped on British India. Even though it doesn't mention but it was issued with help from IIL (Indian Independence League) or INA (Indian National Army).

The colorful leaflet shows an Indian soldier kicking a British Soldier (holding a Union Jack) out of India.

The leaflet shows Japanese fighter planes chasing and hitting British planes. It also shows British navy ships bombed and getting sunk in Indian ocean. It shows Japanese flag in south east Asia symbolizing Japanese victory in Asia.

Then on left hand side, it shows German fighter planes bombing Great Britain/Europe (burning). The bombing causes Churchill panicking.

At bottom left, it also shows Italian submarines sinking British naval forces in African waters.

There is a text in Hindi and Bangla at top for Indian people:

This is the opportunity. Get up and move forward by initiating fight for independence!

WW2 India (CBI) Greetings Card

Today's post is on a greeting card sent by a US soldier from India to Erie, Pennsylvania, US. The card was sent on 8th Dec, 1943 wishing the recipient for Christmas and New Year. The card passed through US Censor as the envelope bears marking for that.

Shown below is front side of the greeting card where it depicts an Eagle with large CBI patch with text in Hindi and English around it. It also mentions INDIA on top of Eagle.

The text reads:

Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Victorious 1944

The card shows a poem on left side while a ship sailing through high Sea on right side inside of card.

The poem reads:

Though I task beneath a blazing sun,
With sterner duty still to be done,
My thoughts at this festive time will stray,
Back to my dear ones far away,
And I send this wish with its age-old ring,
That Christmas to us all may bring,
LOVE, REMEMBRANCE, JOY and PEACE.

Right side text reads:

Greetings and best wishes from over the SEAS

It is hard to say but perhaps the soldier was posted in US Navy in India during WW2.

Mangrol Cash Coupon - WW2

Today's post is on another princely state cash coupon issued during WWII. Mangrol was an 'mediatized' taluka, within Junagadh state, Kathiawar, merged in Saurashtra and is now part of modern state of Gujarat in India. It is a sea port located in the southwest coast of Kathiawar peninsula.

I tried digging on it but couldn't make out how many gun salutation state was granted. There is very less information available on this princely state forget about trying to find out state's contribution on WWI and WWII.

Above one is the only cash coupon issued by Mangrol State/Taluk with denomination of 1 Anna. It has been recorded as number 23.3 in Indian Paper Money Catalogue by Kishore Jhunjhunwalla.

It has text printed in Gujarati. Front side contains a number given to each such coupon/ticket with text "Mangrol State" and denomination 1 Anna. It also mentions that is is General Stamp.

On the reverse there is Mangrol seal printed with text 1 Anna. You can see the emblem has a ship signifying the seaport town had.

The one I have shown is without Shaikh Abdul Jani I's sign. But Indian Paper Money Catalogue shows cash coupon with Shaikh's signature. My guess is that they were either from printers or part of treasury stocks which were not utilized as the condition suggest they were not used. Anyway, if someone has above coupons with Shaikh's signature then please let me know. I will be interested in buying at least one of them for my collection.

After Indian Independence, when Indian Army was called in 1949 then rulers of Mangrol ran away to Pakistan along with rulers of Junagadh. This is how it acceded to India.